Kaj Birksted (2 March 1915 – 21 January 1996) was a Danish flying ace during World War II where he served in the RAF, with final rank of Wing Commander and Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Norwegian Air Force.[1]
Kaj Birksted was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to the United States. The family returned to Denmark 12 years later, where in 1928 Birksted went to Birkerød Boarding school. In 1936, he was admitted to Naval Flying School and was nominated two years later to fly in the reserve.
After the fall and occupation of Denmark, Birksted was already an Officer in the Danish Air Force. He fled to Sweden and hence to the UK. He trained in Canada at Little Norway, the Norwegian flight school where he worked as a student / instructor. In July 1941 he was posted to the Norwegian-manned No.331 Squadron as a Flight Commander. He commanded the unit from September 1942 to April 1943. In late summer 1943 Birksted became Wing Leader, of 132 ( Nor.) Wing. He flew Spitfires scoring ten and one shared confirmed with five damaged.[2]
By the end of his tour in early 1944 he had received the DSO, DFC and the Norwegian War Cross (twice). At the end of the war Birksted did service in operational planning at the General Staff of the RAF 11th Group's Combined Control Centre, where he among others was responsible for fighter cover and escort during the day on D-day. He returned to Denmark after the war, rejoining the newly formed Air Force as a senior staff Officer. Birksted was in Danish Air Force until 1960 with the rank of colonel, after which he took up a position at NATO.[3]